


Nap Time

by Anon_E_Muss



Category: Rockman Zero | Mega Man Zero, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: Can be read as platonic., Coffee, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Napping, One Shot, only minor hints of Zero/Ciel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25958722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anon_E_Muss/pseuds/Anon_E_Muss
Summary: In which Zero and Ciel discuss the limits of one person’s ability.
Relationships: Zero & Ciel, Zero/Ciel
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Nap Time

Zero knocked on the door to Ciel's laboratory. Elpizo had wanted to confer with her one more time to see if she would support his plan to strike and Neo Arcadia. Elpizo was wasting his time, Zero thought. Ciel was a woman of peace. If she was a warrior as well as a scientist, she wouldn't have needed to seek Zero out. Besides, there was a difference between surviving a war and waging a war; something Elpizo needed to get through his thick skull before it cost him.

When the door didn't open, Zero knocked a little louder. "Ciel, are you in there?" Zero called. No response came. Usually, she would have let him in by now. Perhaps it was just his nerves, or maybe it was his past as a maverick hunter, but Zero decided that this bore investigating.

One hand near his saber, he pressed the manual open button. He looked around the lab before heading in. No signs of struggle were evident.

He dropped his guard and looked at the lab before he found Ciel. Everything made more sense once he the state she was in.

She was slumped over her desk, passed out and breathing softly. He smiled. This was much more benign than what he had been fearing.

Staring at her sleeping form, he suddenly knew what he had to do. 'Mission accepted,' he thought to himself.

The first thing he did was look at Ciel's computer, and closed down the program that had been running. She would have to go back and delete the masses of random letters that her head had typed in, but at least the damage was manageable.

Next, he left the lab and quietly made his way to the barracks. He quickly pulled a blanket and pillow from one of the unused cots. He snuck his way back to the lab, hoping to avoid anyone that would ask questions.

Returning back to where Ciel slept, he draped the blanket over her shoulders and gently lifted her head to replace the keyboard with the pillow.

He headed back to the door, and turned the lights off before exiting.

Once the door was closed, he stood guard just outside. He had a feeling someone would want to talk to her. They would have to wait.

Zero was proven right soon enough.

"Ah, Zero," Elpizo greeted. "Have you talked to Ciel yet?"

"She said she had some important work to do," Zero responded. "She'll talk to you when she can."

"Hmm, very well then. Tell her I'll be waiting in the command center."

Zero nodded. Elpizo turned and walked away.

It was a while before another person wanted to talk to Ciel. Alouette came walking up to the laboratory.

"Hi Mr. Zero!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi there," he said as he patted her head.

"Is Ciel in there?"

"Yeah, but she's busy right now."

Alouette blinked. "Busy?"

"Yeah, sorry."

Alouette pouted. "She said she would help fix my cat," she said, holding her stuffed animal out.

Zero bent down to take a look. There was a tear in one of the stuffed animal's paws. "I'm sure she'll help when she can."

"Okay," Alouette said sadly.

Zero was about to let her go, before rethinking things. Hey kneeled down to look at Alouette directly. "Hey, Alouette, can you keep a secret?"

Her eyes grew wide. "A secret?" Zero nodded. "I can keep a secret," she declared proudly.

Zero put his finger up his lips, and opened the door. Alouette looked in, and soon had a fit of giggles.

Gently, he closed the door. Alouette looked up at him. "If Ciel can sleep during the day, does that mean I can stay up at night?"

Zero shook his head. "She's sleeping now because she stayed up late. Even the grown ups need rest, no matter how much they think they can push themselves."

Alouette looked pensive. "Ciel says the same thing about you."

That caught Zero's attention. "Does she?"

She nodded. "Ciel says you never stop. She says she wishes she could keep you in a jar; that way, she wouldn't have to repair you when you get hurt."

Zero allowed himself a small smile. "I'm gonna have to talk with her about that."

Zero decided to tell Alouette to see Cerveau and ask if he could help. As she trotted off, he reflected that maybe there was a little bit of truth to what Ciel had apparently said. Deciding to continue offering support to the resistance after spending a year in the desert probably wasn't the best idea. Then again, it's not like he was ever one to stand idly by.

The door opened one more time, this time letting Ciel herself pass through. She held the blanket over her shoulders, looking dazed and bleary-eyed.

"Feeling rested?" Zero asked.

"Not really," Ciel said. "What time is it?"

Zero took a moment to check his internal clock. "09:15."

"That late?" Ciel said surprised. She looked a tad more alert, but still not at one-hundred percent. "I was supposed to help Cerveau with his projects at eight." She dropped the blanket, and made to race off, but before she could get far, she felt Zero's hand on her wrist.

"You're still not awake enough yet."

Ciel opened her mouth to protest, but instead of words, what came out was a yawn.

Zero let go of her wrist. "Come on. You can help out around the base, but you're getting yourself a cup of coffee first."

Ciel sighed and followed after him. The cafeteria of the base was predictably small. Reploids didn't need nearly as much, and if they ate it was more for the sensation. The cafeteria had mainly been built for Ciel's convenience.

As Ciel sat down at a table, Zero busied himself with making a good mix of an E-tank for himself, and a cup of coffee for Ciel. Having sampled only a few cups back in his days as a maverick hunter, and currently being a little bit hazy on those memories, he had no idea how to make it so that Ciel would enjoy. He settled on a standard cup, thinking that it would be just fine.

Zero returned with both of their drinks, with his thankfully being marked, and sat down on the other side of the table.

Ciel took a sip of her drink, spluttering slightly at the bitter taste. "Sorry," Zero said. "I don't know how you like your coffee."

"It's okay," Ciel said. "It's been a long time since I've been able to make coffee the way I like it. Honestly, I drink it more for the caffeine anyway."

"I'd offer you a sip of mine, but I don't think E-Tanks mix well with humans." Ciel laughed, before abruptly stopping as she noticed something.

"Zero," she said, "I think this is the first time I've ever seen you smile."

Zero choked on his E-tank. An impressive feat since he didn't have a real gag reflex. "I was smiling?" he asked.

"No need to be embarrassed," Ciel said reassuringly. "It's nice to see you happy."

Zero felt heat rising to his cheeks. Desperate for a change in subject, he said "What were you working on last night anyways?"

"Still working on my alternate energy research. I'm this close to a major breakthrough. I can feel it. I just wish I could get this done sooner."

"Getting a good night's rest is a start," Zero said, taking a long sip.

Ciel sighed. "I know, but I'm so close. I might be able to finish it today, if I can decipher a few things."

Zero set his drink down. "Not today, you're not," he said. "Today, you are going to help out Cerveau, fix Alouette's cat, and get to sleep at a decent hour." Before Ciel could protest, Zero continued. "It's been my experience that working nonstop can do more harm than good. Looking at your notes won't accomplish much if you're too tired to make sense of them."

Ciel thought it over for a bit. "I guess you're right," she said.

A thought occurred to Zero. "I don't know your family name. It wouldn't happen to be Light, would it?"

"Light?" Ciel echoes. "Like Dr. Thomas Light? I wish. Why do you ask?"

"Because if there's one thing that X shares with his creator, it's the habit of putting the whole world on your shoulders."

Ciel smiled. "That would make you an honorary Light as well."

Zero gave a small huff of a laugh. "Perhaps."

"Zero," Ciel said with concern, "from one honorary Light to another, can you promise not to burn yourself out?"

"Only if you can promise the same," Zero said.

Ciel smiled. "Then how about we toast to it?" she asked, holding her cup out.

Zero stared at it for a moment. He held up his own drink. "To looking out for each other."


End file.
